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Motivation

So, I'm having difficulties with clearing some timed levels in a platformer. Even when I feel like I've pressed every button perfectly, I can still barely clear it; and some levels are still beyond me. I've tried watching regular videos on YouTube, but they seem pretty much like the same thing that I do - except they make it and I don't. I've tried looking at speedruns, but what happens there is so mindbending that I cannot even begin comprehending it.

So I was thinking about asking for help on the internet. Probably on some speedrunning forum where this would be on topic, but maybe here. But to ask for help in a meaningful way would also involve showing them what I'm already doing - and that means recording a video. Even more, since some things can happen so fast that it's unclear what is being done, I would like my button presses to also be visible in the video.

Question

I know of plenty of ways to record a session. Fraps, Microsft Game Bar, the Radeon software - just to name a few. But they all only record what is visible on the screen. I would also like my button presses to be visible there. I'm using a USB gamepad (controller?), but I can also play with the keyboard, if that makes things easier. I haven't seen any videos like that so I'm guessing this is an uncommon thing to do. But does anyone know of a way?

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  • An immediate solution would be install OBS (SLOBS might have one too) and to look up "obs input overlay tutorial." (Not really an answer since I haven't investigated how well it might work and it's functionality)
    – ScythePhantom
    Commented Oct 25, 2020 at 0:49
  • Oooh, that looks nice! I hadn't heard about OBS but that thing looks sleek! I'll wait for some other answers to come in, but I do think you should make this an answer. There's a good chance I'll accept it.
    – Vilx-
    Commented Oct 25, 2020 at 0:56
  • To see hotkeys in videos people use tools like Carnac. But seriously, you want to improve your skills to play platformers by recording own videos and analyzing keypresses??? I doubt that would work. Rather train your reaction: play hard games, spend hours in trainers (aim trainer) or just replay certain level in certain game for hours, until you feel you are doing it perfectly, then stream it and receive well deserved "woah, that guy is good".
    – user135338
    Commented Oct 27, 2020 at 14:42
  • @Sinatr - No, it's more like I feel like I'm missing some "tricks" or whatever. That is, I feel like even playing perfectly would not gain me more than maybe a second or two, whereas the speedrunners make it tens of seconds faster by doing... I don't know what.
    – Vilx-
    Commented Oct 27, 2020 at 14:51
  • @Sinatr - Btw - I did manage to beat those levels after all, after hours of grinding AND figuring out a shortcut by watching one video. However if I had taken just 0.03 seconds longer, I wouldn't have made it, so it was really just luck.
    – Vilx-
    Commented Oct 27, 2020 at 14:52

1 Answer 1

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A solution to this problem (although I haven't tried it myself) would be to download OBS. There are many tutorials on how to set up a screen recording, I personally used this tutorial to set up screen recording although there may be better ones.

Once that's set up you can follow some tutorials from the forums or look up "obs input overlay tutorial."

I'm not completely sure this method may work since I haven't tried it myself, but it seems like the best solution.

(Streamlabs, might have input overlay but I haven't seen many results on it)

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  • That's looks cool and at the same time feels useless. Why would someone want to see such overlay? To train certain techiques (e.g. strafe-jumping in Quake, or num-lock auto-cast in Diablo3) you rather look for videos specifically explaining it.
    – user135338
    Commented Oct 27, 2020 at 14:48
  • @Sinatr - And in those videos it could be helpful to see the inputs.
    – Vilx-
    Commented Nov 3, 2020 at 17:56
  • @Vilx-, sure. But without explanation, just seeing controls all the time during stream or something is barely useful. When making e.g. tutorial video one can just edit it to add keys at certain moment.
    – user135338
    Commented Nov 4, 2020 at 6:56
  • @Sinatr - Well, in theory you can add them later by editing... but I think it would be very difficult, especially getting right the exact frame where the button was pressed (and many of the tricks literally have a window of just a few frames where the button needs to be pressed). Much easier to just record the whole thing at the same time.
    – Vilx-
    Commented Nov 4, 2020 at 8:33
  • And, yes, of course I mean with explanations. The key overlay is just a helpful aid, not a complete solution.
    – Vilx-
    Commented Nov 4, 2020 at 8:34

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